The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for line marking of the edge surfaces of cut out piles of fabric members. In the clothing industry it is common practice that similar fabric members for a series of articles are cut out together from a pile of fabric layers by, for example, a bandsaw, and it is frequently desirable to produce a discrete marking of certain edge points of the single members, e.g. for showing the later position of a ziplock. Such marking should comprise all the members in the pile, so in practice it is effected by marking the edge surface of the pile with a vertical line leaving a mark on the single members.
A simple manner of line marking the pile is to draw a line with a piece of chalk of a light/dark-contrasting shade, but the achieved marking of the single members is not too clear, and it is difficult to draw the line right to or from the lowermost members resting on a table top. A generally preferred method is to brand the pile side by means of a vertical branding wire or edge mounted in a stationary or movable holder having a land for limiting the intrusion depth of the branding tool. The result is a small notch in the single fabric members, normally further visualized by the notch edge being burnt brown.
Even that method, however, involves drawbacks, though these have been generally accepted as unavoidable. The branding generates unpleasant smoke, and fabric members rich in artificial fibres tend to melt together at the mrking area. Also here it is difficult to mark the lower-most layers on a table top.